Burglar-alarm



(No Model.)

W. H. REIFF.

BURGLAR ALARM.

Patented'J-an. 24, 1888.

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.All i f l u WITNESISES: 1

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UNITED STATES WILLIAM H. EEIEE, OE PHILADELPHIA, PENNs-YLvANIA-- llsuRe|.AR-ALARlvl.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Paten; No. 376,909,A dated January 24, lace.y

i y Application filed September 2, 1887. Serial No.l248,591. (No model.) l

. .To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, WILLIAM H. REIEF, of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Burglar- Alarms, of which the following is aspecication.

This invention is an improvement in burA glar-alarms; and it com-prisesv 'a power-alarm gong or bellethat is to say, a bell operated or rung by a power, a detent or tumbler for stop'- ping the power mechanism, anda pivote'd trip which in practice is elevated and set in posi- `tion for engagement by a door in the opening longitudinal section of the device in connec-y' tion with a door, the trip being elevated in full lines and lowered in dotted lines. Fig.

3 is a detached cross-s`ection drawn in front of the stop-lug of the detent and on about line .fv'

x of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a detail vview ofpthe detent or tumbler. l

The case A is shown. as provided with a Y tooth or prong, c, for engaging the door, is

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wedge-shaped, and'contain's an alarm bell or ygong and power. mechanism for striking the 5 same, such power mechanism havinganescape-wheel and a pallet.v A detent or tumbler, B, is provided whereby to stopsuch power mechanism,and such tumbler is held movably in position to stop the' mechanism by means of the spring b. Tlrisftumbler is shown as movable intoand. out of contact with the pallet, and such arrangement is preferred 5 but manifestly the detentl may be'arranged in connection with some other moving part of the ypower mechanism without departing from some of the broad principles of myinvention.'

In the particular construction shown in Figs.

2 and 3 the detent is aplate pivoted at one end and provided near its vother or movable end with a stop-lug, C, which lmoves into and out ofl a position in rear of the pallet.. To l 'Y if facilitate the passage of the' stop-lug toa pof sition in rear ofthe pallet, I-y form` its'edge which engages said pallet beveled or on an incline, so it will pass readily to position 'forv Apor` y .e

stopping the movement of the pallet. tion, -D, of the detent projects into positionto be engaged by the trip E, which I will vnow describe.

PATENT QIEEICE.v Y

This trip is pivoted'or hinged at oneend to the case, and is movable when lowered from its elevated position onto the detent,

so as to depress said detent, release thepower mechanism, and permit the`alarm to ring.`

The trip, when set, israised and movedto a pointslightly back from the vertical, being stopped ,in suchposition, and the device is placed on the door close to the moving edge -l of the door, the spur or prong being pressed intothe door. v

It --fwill be seen that opened it will strike and knock the trip down. The trip in falling will depress the detent and the alarm will sound. The weightk of the trip will retain the detent 4in depressed position,4

so that the alarm will continue to sound kuntil its drive-power has been expended.

The .trip is a special feature of this invention. It will be seen that it isa pivotedkbalanced drop-trip, and that its operating movement is not by the force of the opening of the door, but by the force v of gravity Lof the trip shouldy they door be itself-that is to say, the operatin'g'power o'f w 'the trip is within the trip itself, the door serving not to give such tripits operatingforce,

but simply to -move such trip from its bal-r Y yanced position to a position in which it mayV fall of its own gravity.

A particular advantage results from the use of the balanced drop-trip, as in the use thereofl 4 a. thief or other person opening a door guarded;

by one of my devices will not feel any resistI ance offered by such device prior to the drop-A ping of the trip andthe sounding ofthe alarm.

This is so because no .perceptibleforce or re-l sistance is offered against the door by the trip in the movement of such trip offI its balance;` lso it will fall. iy

It is preferred to construct the door-trip as shown to form the top of the box or casing,

it being tted to the box or casing and closing i ,snugly therein when the device is not in use.V

In setting the devicethe lid or trip is raised,

when the detent or tumbler rises to position to stop the alarm mechanism. The mechanism can then be wound and the apparatus placed to a door so that the slightest movement of the door will throw the trip off its center, when it will fall and sound the alarm. After the alarm is once started the closing of the door by the burglar will not affect it or stop the alarm, which will continue to ring until it has run down.

It will be seen that no considerable movement of the door is necessary to start the alarm, so that a burglar has no opportunity to open the door slightly and move the alarm out Vof place before it will start to sound, as the slightest opening of the door will suce to throw the trip-lid down, sound the alarm, and wake the occupants of the room.

The pallet and escape-wheel may be of ordinary construction.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is 1. Aburglar-alarm comprising aboX or case, an alarm device, a detent or tumbler for restraining the sounding of such alarm device,

and a balanced pivoted drop-trip, the detent being arranged in the path of the drop-trip, and such trip being constructed to operate by its gravity and the power acquired in falling to release such detent, whereby all springs and other independent operating means for v the trip may be dispensed with, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. The combination of the casing, the power gong or bell therein, the lid forming th trip and fitted to said case and pivoted or hinged at its lower end thereto, whereby it will be balanced when raised and will only fall when thrown olin its balance, and the detent arranged in the pathl of the lid, whereby it will be dis engaged by the same in its descent, substantially as and for the purposes specilied.

3. A burglar-alarm consisting of the box or casing, the power gong or bell having an escape-wheel and pallet, the detent movable into and out of engagement with said pallet and resting normally in such engagement, andthe.

balanced pivoted drop-trip arranged to engage such detent whereby to release the pallet, substantially as and for the purposes specified.-

4. The combination, in a burglar-alarm, of the case A, the alarm bell or gong and its operating mechanism having an escape-wheel and pallet, the detent or tumbler B, pivoted at one end and provided near its opposite end with a stoplug, C, movable into and out of position in rear of the pallet, the spring for operating said detent or tumbler, and the trip E, pivoted at one end and adapted to be raised and set slightly back of a vertical line, whereby it will be overbalanced and will fall and release the detent when tripped by opening the door, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, in a burglaralarm, of a case, an arm and operating mechanism therefor, a detent. or tumbler for restraining the sounding of such alarm, such detent being pivoted at one end, and a gravity drop-trip pivoted substantiall y as described, whereby it may be elevated and balanced in elevated position and arranged to engage and depress the detent or tumbler when lowered, substantially Vas set forth.

WILLIAM H. REIFF.

Vitnesses:

P. B. TURPIN, SoLoN C. KEMON. 

